A Nice Guy

by John Herlihy

I have been called a nice guy

But what is the meaning of nice

And what is the meaning of guy?

How often do we use words

When we don't know what they mean.

Let's take a closer look at this.

Does nice mean polite or kindly?

No, I know what those words mean.

Does it mean friendly or agreeable?

No, I know what those words mean. 

I'm not going to let this go.

Let's dig down much more into this,

Like digging for treasure or gold.

Such a common word can't be elusive;

The meaning is there somewhere.

I dig into the ground of language,

Like looking for water in the ground.

But somehow I come up dry.

Not a drop peeks through the dust.

No spring of meaning begins to flow.

I look into the mirror and think:

Today someone called me nice.

I look at the lines of my aging face.

I see lines of happiness, sorrow, hardship,

But I don't see anything that looks like nice.

I look away feeling lost and wondering,

About what kind of person I really am.

What does the image I see portray?

I see many things engraved in my face,

But being nice is not one of them.

Call me anything you want.

Call me stubborn, disorganized, brave.

I can put up with any kind of description.

Whether it be true or even untrue ,

Whatever you call me, don't call me nice.

Truth to tell, I don't like the word.

Don't call my beard, my clothes nice.

Call me anything in the world you want.

I don't care whether it's good or bad.

But whatever it is, don't call me nice.

I turn back and look again into the mirror,

Knowing that a mirror can never tell a lie

And what do I see there but a smile,

A broad smile that lightens my face.

And I think to myself: now that's nice.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 5 April 2026